Well known caulk or sealant compositions are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,996, to Young, and assigned to the same assignee as is the present application. An example in that patent is a caulking composition of 82.6% solids as follows:
"(4) (a) A caulking composition of 82.6% solids is made up by mixing 430.17 lbs. of a 55% solids aqueous dispersion of an emulsion copolymer of 81.5% ethyl acrylate, 15% methyl methacrylate, and 3.5% itaconic acid, 9.46 lbs. of tert-octylphenoxypoly(39)ethoxyethanol, 10.65 lbs of sodium hexametaphosphate, 124.21 lbs. of a plasticizer for the copolymer (an oxypropylene derivative of m,p-cresylic acid), 26.91 lbs. mineral spirits, 1.27 lbs. of a 30% aqueous polymethacrylic acid, 692.06 lbs. of pigment grade calcium carbonate extender, and 17.22 lbs. of titanium dioxide pigment." PA1 x is an average of from 1 to 7, preferably 2 to 6, more preferably 3 to 5, PA1 R is C.sub.1 to C.sub.12 alkyl, preferably C.sub.4 to C.sub.12 alkyl, more preferably C.sub.8 to C.sub.10 alkyl, PA1 y is 1 or 2, preferably 1, and PA1 R.sup.4 is H or CH.sub.3, and PA1 z is 1 to 3, ##STR4## wherein each R.sup.6 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, and EQU R.sup.3 OOC--(CH.sub.2).sub.o --COOR.sup.3 PA1 R.sup.3 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl, and PA1 o is 2-8.
The emulsion polymers and caulks of the present invention are similar, differing primarily in the plasticizer composition, and are prepared by known methods. Other prior patents of the same assignee are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,919,146 a division of 3,786,020; 3,759,915; 3,554,942; 2,865,877 and 2,865,878. Some involve nonanalagous arts.
The latter two suggest, as pigment dispersants, (1) a water soluble salt of a copolymer of maleic anhydride with an olefin such as diisobutylene, and (2) a water-insoluble ethylene oxide in coatings. The adduct may have a plasticizing effect on the water soluble copolymers, and the two materials can serve as the sole binder in the coatings, or can be used together with acrylic polymers in dispersed or solubilized form. The water-soluble salts are extremely hard and inflexible, and are unsuitable as major components of caulks.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,297 discloses polyvinyl acetate adhesives plasticized with similar adducts of propylene oxide and alkyl phenols. As noted above, acrylic latex caulks have been proposed heretofore in which a plasticizer, of an adduct of propylene oxide and cresol in the mole ratio of 6:1, is recommended. Ester type plasticizers in the form of oil modified alkyds have been disclosed for caulks, particularly solvent based caulks, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,919,146 and 3,759,915. U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,942 concerns water based acrylic sealant or spackling compositions.